The Sun. — London, England, 1808-04-16 00:00:00

,( [From the French Papers.] Among the beneficent establishinents promised - to France so loudly by her first refortners, - Was a syStem of national education S upon which every party which has successively excited and disappointed .t he hopes of ,a credulous public, has taken ,care to publish at least some high-sounding declamations'. The defensive War of the Revolution against all the Powers of Europe, in the first instance, and subsequently the offensive Wars generated by the vast project of en .slaving all those Powers, have equally impeded the execution of any plans of public instruction. A variety of incomplete institutions were made and abrogated ;- central and other schools have been distributed throughout the departments ; and some 'splendid establishments in the metropolis gave eclat to krrner administratiens. • At length, on the 17th ult. an Imperial Decree completed this great struaure, by conneaing all the schools and academies, or colleges, of France, to gether, under the title of The liniver,Yity, under the authority and governMent . of which every establish ment for education of every descriptton is brought. The Decree comprises 144 articles, and forms a mi nutely elaborate and well-organi zed system. Our confined limits do not allow us to examine or even state - this establishment in the detail of; its organiza 7 and we are under the necessity of confining our observations upon 'it to its general features, its bearings upon civil liberty, and the marks it carries of the mind of its founder, as influenced by his liberal or illiberal habits. The first chapter, " The general organization of the University," may be given entire. if ARTICLE 1. Public instruftion, throughout the whole Empire, is confided exclusively to the Uni versity. , " No school, or establishment for instruiStion of any kind, may be formed out of the Imperial Uni versity, and without the authority of its head. " 3. No one can open a school, or teach publicly, without being a Member of the Imperial Univetsity, and graduated by one of its faculties. Neverthe less, instrusfilion in the seminaries is dependent upon the Archbishops and liishops, each in his diocese. They appoint 'and dismiss the Direaors and Pro fessors. They are merely bound to conform to the rules for the seminaries, approved by us.. . " 4. The Imperial University shall be composed of as many Academies' as there are Courts ot Ap peal. " 5. The schools belonging to each academy shall be arranged in the following order The ilicu/ 7 ties, for-the more profound sciences, 'and the con ferring of degrees. 2. The Lyceums, for the antient languages, history, rhetoric, logic, and the elements of the mathematical and natural sciences. 3'. The Colleges, (secondary schools of the Communes) for the elements of the antient languages, the first prin ciples of history, and the sciences. 4. (Les Institu-• tions) viz. Schools kept by p r i vate masterk,, in which the instruction approaches that; of the b. Eciarding Schools (Pensions), also belonging to private masters, and devoted to studies less severe than those of the Institutions, 6. The lower schdols, or primary schools, whore residing, writing, and• the first rules Of arithmeticlare taught." Such is the general organization. There is one 'titlark which cannot fail to obtrple itself even upon the most careless reader; 'and which will painfully impress those who will tlatter themselves that the immense misery which the revolution has brought pon our generation, may be compensated by some advantages fur succeeding races : it is this, thst by this law, that mighty engine of evil or good; the edu cation of the rising race, is monopolised by the State k MI the benefits resulting from the free exercise of individual judgment are , destroyed. The generous and laudable contlia of emulatiOn, the expansion . of mind arising from freedom, is repressed ; and all that the Legislature can do, is done to introduce a Slavish. uniformity of opinion, whose pernicious tendency bas been recognized by all liberal minds in this country. Lost this should not be apparent, we re utind the-reader, that by the existing laws of Fra nce, it is a criminal Offence for ,any schoolmaster to use in his school, any, book, though but a .graMmar, a spelling-book, or primer, which has not been sanc tioned by the sign manual of the Emperor. As confirming this statement we add the Fifth Chapter. . OF TUE BASIS OF INSTRUCTION IN TIIR SCHOOLS OF TUE UNIVEIISLTY. - Art. 38,". All the Schools of the Imperial Uni versity take as the basis of their instruction, I . The precepts of the Catholic religion. Q. Fidelity to the Emperor, to the Imperial Monarchy, ,the depository • ot the felicity. of nations (du touheur des peupks, in the plural number), and to the Napoleon Dynasty, as the preserver of the unity of France, and of all the liberal litias f!!) proclaimed by. the constitutions. 3. Obedience to the statutes of the instriVting body, whose objets is uuifarmity of instruClion, and which tend to form for the state citizens attached to their religion, their prince, their country, and their family. 4. All the pruleAsor% of theology are.Lbound to con tort), the provisions of the edtet of 168; con- . the four' propositious contained' in the de claration of the clergy of FranCe of the same year." It is bitter irony to bring together in this manner "liberal, ideas" and " unitbrinity' of inlirnaion ;" there is but one idea which is truly and universally liberal, and that is, rjlowing others to have ideas as Well as ourselves. We might .refer to th e etTeas produced ...in this country by the famous. 4EI of Uniformity, of CHARL E S 11. without mean. itig to consider the cases as 'the same. There are, at any rate, plausible_ reasens for insisting on uni formity in a religious establishment, where the State atithorises dissent ; but to demaud i euniformitd de tin struelion Upon all points of science, and art, anddoc trine, where no dissent is tolerated, and all > the means of resistance are taken away, proclaims an insolence and arrogance of tyranny which we were not prepared to eve& even from themaster of Eu. rope, when addressing the lowest and most abject of his slaves. If there be any remaining in this coun try.who still fondly cling to the belief that there is, on ,the part of the present Sovereign of the Con tinent, some priniiples. - of liberality Wjacif may. mitigate the evils of his despotism; we trust tltiig aa of tyre plus ultra tyrannical ucurpation over 'the rights ot independent thought, as %veil as naion, at length twee awakened from their When . Nye . bear p ersons of the class we alltide to, cite cne 110StrI1C1 e manitesteu uy roDONAPARTE aga the Pope, and the removal of much subordinate ty ranny, and many real - evils in the - former Gwent ment of France, all b( which, however, preceded his Government, - we ate reminded of the satirical couplet—. " So when small humours gather to a gout, The doctor fancies he h:id driven them out." But we' must return to some other particulars of this Imperial Establishment. Though Universities originated in France, they have for many years been declining in that country; being in their nature better suited to the administra tion of little independent Princes, who were emu lons of the honour of promoting literature, as in Ger many, than to the government of a large kingdom. Hence, while the Universities ot Germany have been the means of dispersing all the learning and science of that great collet‘lion of States, the Colleges of France were scarcely beard of ; they became little more than Grammar-schools for larger boys. Aca demical titles too were not-frequent, nor much re speiited. Now, however, BUONAPARTII has resolved to outdo even Gqrmany in the number of his gra duates. CHAP. 2.—OF THE FAcut.ms.—They are in creased to the ,number of five. —; . Theology ; 2. Law; 3. Medicine; 4. The Mathemalical and Physical Sciences ; 5. Literature (Lettres). These two latter, faculties are great innovations on the an - 'dent. scholastid establishments, far out-doing the anomalous degree of Doaor of Music, at Oxford.— Doubtless the sciences and literature should give high honours to the professors of them in a certain degree; but the line between vulgar attainment, and what is properly learning, is not easy to be drawn }n these departments. The Bishopl and Archbishops present the D. D.'s to the Grand Master of the University. There are as many theological faculties are there are metropo• litan churches ; and there will be one at Strasburgh and one at Geneva, for the Calvinists, pour la reli gion reformde. The term prigendu, formerly so care fully introduced, is however left out. BtYONAPARTI has the politeness of his people. _ _ There are to be twelve faculties for law, and five for medicine. At Paris, the faculty of the Sciences will consist of an 'union of the professors of the great establishments there, viz. .Le College de'.l4 - ance, L'Ecole Polytecluliyut, Le Musdunt et Histoire Ara. ticrelle, Les Lyafes: The faculty of letters is com posed in a similar CHAP. 3 , .-410P THE DEGEEES.7—In each 'faculty there are Bachelors, Licenciates, and Dad Ors. It is sufficient to notice the qualifications for a Doetor'S hat. Thee Doaor of Literature must support two theses, one on rhetoric and logic, the other on an dent literature; and, singularly enough, the for Mer only must be in, Latin. The Doelot of Sciences. Must support two theses, it his option, on topics of mechanics and astronomy, or chemistry, or natural history, in nee of its three branches. The degrees in Law and Medicine retnaitt according to existing . regulations. A Doelor in Divinity must be•tiventy years old at least, and have maintained several theses, one in Latin. Very minute regidations are made concerning the rank and titles of the Officers ache University. The 6th Chap. " On the obligations contralled by the Members of the University," contains several provisions establishing the absolute authority of the Government over all the Protessors, Tutors, and Venaionaries of the Universities, for such only ap 'pear to be designated by the term Member. They, to use the terms of the Law," promise obedience to the Grand Master in all that he shall command them for our service,, and for the benefit of insnuaion." They are piohibiled leaving the instructing body (le ,Corps Enseignant) and their fun&ions, without his permission (which, on certain terms, he' is obliged to, grant). They are subjea to the regu lations ofa kind of correaional censorship, in which it is remarkable that the same sort of discipline which is applied to the Students of our Universities is here employed towards the Motet's. They may be suspended,in their funiStione, that is rusticated, and their names may be struck off the University' roll : this latter punishment brings with it the inca pacity of being employed in any public administra tion ; and they can accept no public or private em ployment for which a salary is received, Without the authenticated permission of the Grand Master. Ater. 46. " The Members of the University will be hound to inform -the • Grand Master and his Officers of whatever may come to their knowledge in the Establishments of Public ilmstrudion, which is contrary to the dol y ines and'principles of the In structing; The - Grand Master nominates of course to all the high offices of the University, and is himself nu *fated by, and removable at the will of, the Em peror. Among other ads of preroptive, he may remove the Principals of the Colleges and Professors of the Lyceums from one Academy to another (as is done hire to Excisemen), taking the advice of three Members of the Council ; and he also fixes the Regulations for the ditferent Schools. He is assisted by a Council of 30 Members. Each Aca demy has its Re&or and Council. The greater part of the Laws respell the several details of their formation, which have no general in terest.' Many of their Regulations are good and useful ; and certainly as far as the Establishment of the'University may contribute to the extension of any education to the lower classes, it may be view ed with pleasure. Unfortunately, this part is the most vague and' indeterminate; we see no provision for securing to all . the inestimable attainments of read ing and writing.—Eight hundred thousand kivres are assigned for the support of the University, be 'sides the fees on taking degrees, examinations, &c. in the Academies, and a twentieth of the sum paid by every Scholar for his education, in every• School of the,Empire. It would be uncandid to deny that some benefi cent effects may, and probably will, result from this Establishment, though impure and essentially vicious. Thus much. has at all times been acknowledged in respea to that too famous Society of Catholic Edu cators, the abolishing of which the Abbe BAR RV E[. considers as the. principal cause of the cala , mities of the age-e-if the portentous revolution of .littrope be dated from the annihilation of the Jesuits, _the counter-revolution, as tar as affects the Regal and Church Establishments, is certainly confi7ed by the establishment of the Imperial University. art,/,111 A.% (7 IIV A AUL L, 1 1.7 LIP V •14 • ''NOttBROOK RACES -WCFORDSI4I4tE. WEDNESDAY, 6. i'he Farmers' Cult of cogs value, iu..t is as for the. second horse, given by the Gentlemen of Sir "fhoritiis Mo4tyn's Hunt, rode. by Farmers, the best of three two-mile heats. hlr. b, g. Tekeli, 4 yrs old 'Mr. SalMon'sW. g. Experiment, 3! yrs old . . 3 An easy Race. Six others started, but were ,not pl.iced. The Sweepstakes Of 145 each, for Hunters, the prriperty of, and rode by. Gentlemen of the Mutt, one three--T,ile heat. Mr. Dorrien's bl. g. Kitigsfistaer. by Curricle Mr. Copes b. g. Nettle, by 'dm Bull, • Mr. Pryse's ch. m. Rosa, aged • . • A good Race--; tot against the winner. The Sweepstakes of sgs rach, t3st. the best or three one mile heats, rode by Gentlemen of the Hunt. Mr. Cope's b. g. Fly-by-Night - a I Mr. Dorrien's ch. g. Plenty a t a Three good heats—After the second heat, Plentythe favourite. The company on the ground was numerous, notwithstand ing the unfavourable weather - 3 - 3 A CAUTION TO Fi ll The following most singular instance of ferocity in the cat species, may be'relied on as a lad Tuesday last, • Mr. G. Burton, steward to John Gurney, Esq. of Earlhatn, had an ewe died, which Suckled a very' fine larisb; he took the ewe Amy, and the lamb did not 'seem to regret the loss of its dam, but fed on the turnips with the other large lambs; going his rounds early the next morning, he perceived this lamb lying 'dead, with its.neck bloody, and its eyes out, which numb surprised him, baring left it quite well at dusk the preceding evening ; supposing it too early to be done 'by crows, he took it home and fl a yed it, when it was found to have a manhole in its neck about the size of a goose gni% and just below it a small place . about the size of a sie pence, with time woolotf, and apparently about half through the skin, and the wool, with a part of the skin scrabbled oti the hind about the size of his three flegers, tltew ql o 'a oi r l t y e i r t:g in small knots by it when found.— On looking amongst the others, he found there • were two more living, and following their darns with their necks bloody, and in the same state as be fore described in the dead one. In the afternoon of Wednesday, the small one of the other two died : on flaying It, its neck was found • to be in the same state, swelled end much gangrened, the blood much settled in its neck. In the afternoon Mr. John Scarnell, a near neighbour, to*whom Mr. Burton had related the above circumstance, sent. his two servants down to him with- a large mate cat, as judging him to be the murderer by the fellowing circumstance : his servants having two kittens on the hay-loft, nearly hall.groWn, and as they always had been in the habit of coming dawn into the stable the time of feeding the horses, and not hay , ing seen them in the course of the day, one of the men went up to see if lie could find them, and feeling where they used to lie, this cat was found lying by them, and running dowel' into an out house, they 'shut the door and secured 'him (he having been seen for three or four years, 'on dif ferent premises in Eariharn). On taking the kit tens, they were found to be sucked just under the ear, in the same way as the lambs were, and one of them having th'e hind pert and half the body', with its inside, eaten up. On opening the cat's body, a part of the skin of the kitten was found in its stomach, and a foot of it whole, and some small piecei of woad. Mr. Burton had obserVed, one morning last week, when the ground was covered by MK, the footing of a cat quite around the tur nips, and among the ewes and lambs ;- but yet he never thOught a cat would interrupt the lambs, and, had not the above circumstance occurred, he be lieves it had never been discovered, unless he had absoletely. seen him attack - the, lambs; he, there fore; advises all persons seeing these wild cats strolling about, to destroy them, as the abo%e cir cumstance is a proof of their pernicious qualities. Yesterday being Good Friday, the Same was ob served with appropriate solemnity throughout the metropolis. The following singular circumstance is translated from a Spanish Manuscript lit a romantic spot, on the confines of Spain, there has been discovered a tomb of venerable appearance, adorned with emblematic sculpture, representing giants destroyed, .rnagicians imprisoned, and coats of mail lying useless; but the must striking figure in the groupe is Satire trampling on rice, laughing at rally, and painting to the following inscription " Within rests the fiqvatit:of the ablest Satirist ever registered in the chronicles of Fame, Mtcuat. Ca avANTgs.• " This friend made his first appearance in Spain, towards the:beginnitig of the severttecnth century,, yet he may exist to:the end of time. was the constant companion of 'his master, the cheerer of his life, the dispeller of his gloom; the sharer of his fame. He differed from all man kind they improve as 'they grow taller; his fame increased as he got shorter ! On the decease of his employer, he was deposited in this tomb ; nor lv ill he again appear until a master can be found equal t o his former.. Though an absolute slave, he was never disgenced in the support of vice, the degradation of virtue, or, the malice of parry ; never once did his effusions cost modesty a blush, or innocence a tear. He never ridiculed, or raised a laugh- at religion or morality, yet he was always employed to un masl: the hypocrite. Satire was his forte, and with his Movements, like the circles of the magicians' wand, he,.could produce a sort of talisman against vice and folly. He ridiculed general errors, but never descended to personality. To sum up all, he was a bee,. distilling honey from the most noxious weeds, and possessed of a sting to preserve his sweets from the attacks of the wasp." _ _ Here the insc :ption ended. Some would•bo wits, and fool-hatc!y ,trayellers, on reading *this enigma, broke open the tomb, and found a worn« down old pen ! They were of course much dis« appointed; but as soon as it was understood that the pen of CERVANTSS had born found, all the modern authors came in shoals to claim it. How shall I relate •the sequel ! When they brought their__woks—as -certificates to ht compared with the inscription, not one was to be room!, but. what was contaminated with vice,' jaundiced by party; corrupted by immorality, or , vitiated with malice ! So that now the pen is to ctiange its fntmer hab.o tion, and be for ever consigned to 'the caVe cite • . Upon this subjen a Cormspondent makes the fol. lowing ob.erOtionsl—We ore sorry to see that the Keport .of the Committee, proposing to prohibit grain in the distiileytes - for a limited time, has given rise amongst some .persons to great alarm.. Yet of all others it is a question that ought to be soberly discuss; ; and fortunately . , whatever recpen may be due to the opinion of the Members of the Committee, the RepOrt is at least exempt from political bias.-- Their,diligence has been exemplary, and the mass of evidence and fans which they have collenecl is so important, that a fair man will not decidtt before he has examined it. It is agreed on all sides, that the cultivation of our' own fields i 3 the first objeet to be encouraged. Yet this principle has never been carried so far xi praCtice as to exclude the importation of foreign grain, when the price of our own becomes higher than is con venient. And in reality the Committee have been merely discussing this question in another shape, and have been enquiring whether a present arcity .of grain may not be adVa , itageously t.upol.e.l, not by_ the corn of other nations, but .by the sugar of our own plantations. There is surely nothing very revolting in this.— The great argument for the permission of grain in tliEtilleries at all is, that it secures a 14r,..,er general supply, the surplus of which may be taken, for food in years of scarcity, But whatever encouragement this or any thing else atroiled to the fartner, it is certain, that on an average of many ears we have imported 'BOO,OOO quarters of corn all 1111,Wy. he state of the world is likely to ex , :lude this supply, and if the American Emb ago continue, the West Indie4 must be, supplied from this country with 1100 1 000 quarters. This.. increased demand one would suppose, might bo,a sufficient eneourag , :ment to our Lind-holders and fanners, unless the quantity consumed in the distillery bore 3 large proportion in• deed to the usual crop. Now it appears in evidence before the Commit tee, that a common crop of barley in England alone, is five millions of quarters, and probably that of Ire. land and Scotland is as much more, making, together ten millions. And the whole distillery of the three kingdoms, occupies no more than 7et1,000 (ewter* of grain, of which 300,000 are oats ) so that the pro.. portion is not one twentieth part. • • But leaving the-general argument, we Mould con sider that at the present time, there is 01'184 a scarcity of grain. The last crop of oats and barley was deficient one-third, that of potatoes and pulse one-half, and the poor in many pees of the country, particularly in the North of Scotland, ' are without bread. This surely is 'not' an iMproper . moincm to make an experiment, how far the general prosperity might he promoted, by .substituting the produce of onrown , colonies, the pratierty of our coentrymen, the return for our innuufatil meg; instead of the grain we formerly imported from abroad. To say nothing of the produce of the Danish Islands. and Brazil, the annual ':surplus of brought boat! is 120,000 hogsheads above our own consumption—a state of thihga which cartt3ot. coati • nue without the destruelion of the Colonies. The plan of the Committee would take otf great part of that surplus, and effelaually support the Colonies, without any sensible mfluence.on our agriculture;. and it is to be hoped that the interest of. our trade and,oer land may be found to be compatible. It is 11;Arther to ba observed, that the Committee proposed the prohibition . to be only for one year, which it is presumed is sufficient to remove all ap, prehensions, especially as the King in Council is em. 7 powered to remove the prohibition at any time, upon • . notice in. the London Gazette. The last three days have had .a most surprising er. feta on Vegeiai ion. - 7 Trees, which, in the beginning, of the week exhibited only a few ,sapless twigs, have their buds.already bursting into leaves. At the last AssiAei for the County of Wilmot:A, a cause of some importance to thelanded interest of the County came on to be tried b,:fore Mr. Baron GRAHAM. It was; an a&ion brought by. Mr's. Sarah }lodges, Lessee under his Grace the Duke of Beau fort of a farm called the Free Farm, in the Manor of Magor and Redwick, against Mr. John Dobbins, it respAable Farmer, residing in the said neighbour.; iiondi for the tack end depastUrage of oxen, the iiro perty of one John • Hockey, which wot.., in oep- , telpher 1805, ;trespassing on. the Defendant's land t he impounded them in •thd usual , way, and,. after remaining in the common pound th:l time limited by law, the hayward, or keeper of the pound, turned them upon the Plaintiff's farm, as th place where eStrays or trespassers tire usually put, it' not relieved by the owner by replevin or payment of the trespass; sec. The oxen. rernaieed 'upon the ~, Plaintiff's farm for several Months, at the end of which they were by some means taken away, and were afterwards found it) Hockey's possession, who. kept them. The Plaintiff, Mrs. Hodges, then ap plied to hiM ' for- the value of their keep ,during the , time they were upon her farm, which he reused ; nor would he pay Mr:Dobbins for the. trespass.— Mrs. Hodges, the Plaintiff, finding that she could not obtain any thing-from Hockey, brought her ac tion against Dobbins, the todendant, for the keep : he resisted the payment, and this was the issue tried. The Learned Judge thought it very hard that the Defendant _should suffer first by .the trespass, and then by paythent of the keep for the very cattle which had done him, an injury. His Lordship left it to the Jury to say whether there was . any irn plied - contras on the part of the Defendant to pay the Plaintiff. They were of opinion there,was none, and accordingly .found a verdict for the Defendant. This was a new case. . . . BRAND, in Ms Historrof Shetland, says, that in this year (1040) there were three luxuries in t i odut.ed into-that island ; namely, soap, with which some of the Lairds had their shirts washed, pewter spoons, and.coarse table:-cloths.. Shwa d the Noble . Mansion in Skinner-street, which heads the rich_ Scheme of. the City Lottery, be adequately opened .according _to its original de- • I sign, it will- undoubtedly be ; the most magnificent i Hotfl in Europe.. Several parties, who nave the means to Orel it, are,known to be joint adventu. rers to a tare amouS of Tickets, , and have agreed, in case it is gained by holkiel otk $„0 a res of Tickets, i to buy tip, if possible,- tLe.i . tvipei.iive portions